Virtual Reality and Identity Crisis—

Identity has become one of the single most important issues for human development and adjustment in today’s turbulent times. Virtual world is changing the interface of identification and communication. Virtual reality has recently emerged as an effective tool to extend a healing space for an alternative identity. The focus of this chapter is on the challenges faced by the young generation, which is struggling to understand its “identity.” The exploration of identity in such virtual environments may be a search for a ‘unitary’ construct about the self (Erikson, 1968). In this paper, the concept of “identity” and “identity crisis” and the potential challenges identified in the real and virtual world are discussed at length. In today’s world people are pulled in different directions, thanks to the different kinds of societal demands from family, friends and society. It becomes difficult to find a uniqueness of one’s self and yet able to fulfill the norms and parameters set up by the society. Respect for diversity of self would go a long way in allowing people to be “uniquely themselves” while belonging to a community. Healthy “crisis” or exploration can afford people the opportunity to knowledgeably investigate choices in which there is positive meaning with regard to where they have come from, where they presently exist, and where they envision their future to be (International Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, 2008). An attempt to explore the identity management and identity statuses has also been made to understand “real” and “virtual reality.” Identity crisis and psychosocial moratorium’s linkage (Erikson, 1963) to virtual reality have also been touched upon. An understanding of organizational identity with the individual identity.

The Influence of Collaborative Web on Knowledge Management, Organizational Structure and Culture in Knowledge-Intensive Companies

Knowledge-intensive companies are quickly changing, involving many people working in different activities. Knowledge in such companies is diverse and its proportions immense and steadily growing. The distribution of knowledge across project teams, communities of practice, and individuals is therefore an important factor. With collaborative Web, tools like wikis, blogs, or social networks are used for collaboration and knowledge sharing. In this chapter, we question what influence these tools have on knowledge management, organizational structure, and culture of knowledge-intensive companies. As a result of our interviews and surveys done in Serbia, we found that with collaborative Web, organizational structure, culture, and knowledge management change is perceived among employees and that employee’s loyalty changes from company orientation toward virtual community orientation.

Dynamic Co-opetitive Network Organization Supported by Multi Agent Architecture

The emergence of institutional or informal networks, formed by cluster groups appears to be a major new feature of the contemporary industrial economy. The focus of this chapter is the development of a Multi Agent Architecture to support a network of enterprises that collaborate in a co-opetition relationships environment. The research concerns the investigation of a life cycle of the network in which the partners change dynamically. In particular, the enterprises that participate in the network can exit or continue to participate, while the enterprises that operate outside the network can evaluate to participate in the network. A simulation environment is developed to implement and test the proposed Multi Agent Architecture. The simulation tool allows to evaluate the proposed approach in a co-opetitive network during the operational activities. The simulation results show that the proposed approach is a very promising tool to support the plant’s participation decision.

Using Virtual Communities to Involve Users in E-Service Development

Thriving in the Internet era requires both Internet presence and careful development of the e-services provided using this technology. However, one major problem is how to involve the end users of the e-service(s), something which is necessary if the e-services are to be useful and sustainable. This chapter presents a case study on the e-service development process using a major player in the travel industry as the case. The main focus is on how new technological advancements and phenomena, primarily virtual communities, can be used as a main source of end user requirements. Virtual communities are both of strategic and practical relevance and even cause a need to redefine the term “user participation.” E-services constitute a major trend for private as well as public organizations and should address Internet technology advancements when being developed.

Augment Your Business Reality with New Age Web Tools

When Berners Lee invented the Internet, he for sure could not have imagined the beast he unleashed. Today, some years later, the Internet is the single most important tool of communication, leisure, and information gathering. With Web 2.0 and social networks becoming more and more mainstream, we must ask the question about what more is about to come. If ever we will look back and define the current moments in 2010 as Web 3.0, it will for sure be the talk of touch screens, 3D technologies, and most of all, the rise of Augmented Reality (AR). This more sensory Internet leads to an entirely new experience of bridging the off-line with the on-line world. It makes the use more human and easier to use because it simulates various aspects of needs and activities we would demand and use even if we were not computer freaks. This chapter talks about AR and its applications and the way it can change our lives and businesses with the support of cyberspace.

Collaborative Virtual Business Events- Opportunities and Challenges

Virtual world’s immersive collaborative environment has brought immense potential for innovation and transformation within business processes. While online business transactions have been well in place and largely stabilized now, collaborative business events using the virtual world are an emerging and less explored area. This chapter delves into the offerings of rich interactive virtual exhibition and conference space to enable business events. In addition to saving time and cost, such offerings also enable knowledge on demand, so crucial for the end users. While virtual conference technologies can be carried out using audio or video and have been relatively high on usage, virtual exhibitions exercise the use of 3-D virtual worlds. Ideally, any effective business event needs to have an integration of virtual conferences and virtual exhibitions. The chapter brings out the services and usage trends available in this virtual space. Related challenges for the end users, organizers, and developers are discussed.

Collaborative Web for Natural Resources Industries

The roles of these external entities span across various functions of the core value chain. This chapter focuses on collaboration in the core functions like geo-sciences, engineering, production operations, supply chain, transportation & logistics, equipment maintenance, materials management, sales and marketing, and environment health and safety (EH&S) etc.

Web 2.0

In this chapter, the author takes a look at how organizations can integrate Web 2.0 technology into their current electronic commerce environment. The success of the Internet can be seen within any organization, but customers are asking for more interaction with the enterprises they do business with. In a few years, having a standard electronic commerce site will be as passé as having an information only site today. Organizations must progress to the next level in order to have a viable business model in the future. Web 2.0 provides the basic technology for creating a network of customers who are passionate about the company’s product offering. This chapter reviews several different examples where organizations have added Web 2.0 to their environment and are succeeding in transforming themselves.

Applying Game Mechanisms to Idea Competitions

In these times of a collaborative Web, consumers actively participate in the creation, elaboration, and evaluation of new content. Portals like Wikipedia demonstrate how this collaborative and creative behavior can result in valuable outcome. Companies benefit, as well, from this active role of the consumer: Consumers generate, develop, and evaluate new ideas for products and services in idea competitions. A challenge of today’s idea competitions is that the recent “inflationary increase” partly results in a decrease of participation. The purpose of this study is to explore one possible approach to transfer the positive motivational effect of games to idea competitions. The transfer of playful elements from a game context to the model of open innovation is what we call “game-based open innovation.” Based on theoretical insights, analysis of 18 cases and three interviews, this study demonstrates the actual occurrence of game mechanisms and their effect on the motivation of participants.

Virtual Worlds for Collaborative Meetings

Whether businesses will make use of virtual worlds for meetings, training, and events is not just an academic question. Use of existing and newly developed virtual worlds is expected to grow for the near future among all age groups. International companies are entering a variety of virtual worlds to promote collaboration among their geographically dispersed workforce for training and meetings, as well as for business-to-business and business-to-consumer applications with internal and external audiences. These worlds provide engaging experiences that are enjoyable and memorable. This chapter addresses opportunities and challenges in conducting meetings in virtual worlds. It covers the evolution of technology for virtual meetings, a theoretical analysis of telepresence in virtual meetings, case studies of companies utilizing virtual worlds as meeting venues, and practical considerations for conducting virtual meetings and events.